Shock absorbing lamp socket support



y 1970 H. J. MALACHOWSKI 3,512,032

SHOCK ABSORBING LAMP SOCKET SUPPORT Filed May 31, 1968 INVENTOR. HANDRY J. MA LACHOWSKI "WA/b.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,512,032 SHOCK ABSORBING LAMP SOCKET SUPPORT Handry J. Malachowski, Wilton, Conn., assignor to Yankee Metal Products Corp., Norwalk, Conn., a corporation of New York Filed May 31, 1968, Ser. No. 733,378 Int. Cl. Hk 5/06 US. Cl. 313-318 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a lamp, and more particularly, a type of lamp that is applied tothe surface of the body of a large truck. Lamps of this class are sometimes called clearance lamps, and are applied in considerable numbers to truck bodies so as to outline the shapes thereof. This, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, contributes road safety.

Obviously, a lamp of the. particular class is subjected to considerable shock. This shock may occur when the truck is moved into a position where its bumpers encounter an obstruction. Further considerable shock will be contributed when the truck is being loaded, and also when the truck is moving along a rough road.

Therefore, it is necessary, in a lamp of the class described, to mount the socket or sockets into which the lamp bulbs are placed, so that the sockets, and therefore, the lamp bulbs will be well insulated from shock. This problem of insulating lamp bulb sockets against shock is one that has been attacked for many years, and there are numerous patents illustrating various means that have been developed for the purpose. I believe that the mechanism that I have conceived, and which I shall describe in this application, is extremely affective, as it contributes a shock absorbing mounting for lamp bulbs adapted to absorb shock transmitted in almost every direction. Actual tests have shown my invention is extremely effective.

Thus, as a feature of my invention, the socket or sockets into which the lamp bulbs are to be inserted, are supported by a pair of spring metal strips together with a central portion to which each of the strips is secured at one end, the strips in turn being supported at their other ends in spaced relation to a base member of the lamp. The two strips, together with the said central portion, are held spaced by the form of the strips and the securing means that fasten the ends of the strip to the base. As a particular feature of this part of the invention, each of the strips is so shaped between the base where it is fastened, and the central portion, that a considerable part of each strip lies offset relatively to a line extending between the two fastening points where the strips are fastened to the base.

Because of the fact that each of the strips is so offset for a part thereof, the central portion will readily twist or move relatively to the base in several directions, as will appear clearly from the detailed description that follows.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and

in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a clearance lamp base showing a pair of lamp bulb sockets secured relatively to the base in accordance with the concept of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the two strips of my invention together with the central portion, it being apparent that in this form of my invention the strips and central portion are integral, being formed by the bending of one piece of sheet metal.

FIG. 4 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a modification of my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates the base of my lamp, and may be formed of a ceramic material. This base will be secured to the body of a truck by a screw 11 at one end and by a screw 12 at the other end. The ceramic base has an opening 13 through which may be inserted a live insulated wire 14 for supplying electric current to a standard type of contact member 15 to which the wire 14 is soldered or otherwise secured. The contact member 15 is mounted on the central portion 16 of what I term a lamp bulb mounting member best shown in FIG. 3, and is suitably insulated from the central portion 16 of member M While being supported thereby.

At 17 and at 18 suitable rivets 19 are used to fasten spring sockets 20 of a standard type to the lamp bulb mounting member M. Because the mounting member M is metal, the central portion 16 and the two spring sockets 20 will be in electrical communication. Integral with the central portion 16 of the mounting member M are opposed spring metal strips 21, bent as illustrated in FIG. 3. As was earlier noted, member M is formed by the bending of a piece of relatively thin flat preshaped spring metal. Strips 21 lie with their planes at any point perpendicular to the flat metal portion constituting the central portion 16. Each of the spring metal strips 21 has at its end a tap 22, these tabs being formed by the further bending of the metal of strips 21 at right angles to the positioning of the strips 21.

Suitable fastening means traverse openings in the tabs 22 for fastening the tabs in place relatively to the base 10 as it well illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. For this purpose, the base 10 will have upstanding lugs 23 for accepting fastening rivets 24 or the like.

A suitable metal conductor 25 is fastened at one end relatively to the screw 12, and at its other end is in electrical contact with the tab 22 of a spring metal strip 21. In this Way, the spring strip 21, the central portion 16, and the two spring socket clips 20 are in electrical communication and are therefore grounded relatively to the truck through screw 12.

As is clear from the drawings, a lamp bulb L may be inserted into each of the clips 20 in a conventional manner. In this position each of the lamps will have its end contact 30 in electrical communication with a spring finger 31 forming a part of the conventional contact 15. Obviously, the electrical circuit for the lamp bulbs will be through the conductor 14, contact 15, end contact 30, the filaments of the bulbs, the spring clips 20, central portion 16, the spring metal strips 21 and the conductor 25 to ground.

It will be noted that each of the spring metal strips 21 has a bowed portion offset relatively to a line extending between the fastening means 24, for the tabs 22, this line being designated by the letters a, b in FIG. 1. Because of the springy nature of the strips 21, it is further obvious that the mass of the lamp bulbs L together with the sockets 20 will be such that the sockets will tend to hold a fixed position in the event of severe shock at base 10. In other terms, the sockets may be said to rotate with the central portion about line a, b. Also the spring strips 21 will generally be under slight stress and there- Further, it will be seen that in the event of vertical shock, the spring metal strips 21 will allow movement of the two lamps vertically along the line a, b relatively to base to absorb shock in that direction or to twist about an axis perpendicular to base 10. Further, it is obvious that the lamp bulb assembly may move toward and away from the base 10 merely by a slight twisting of the off set portions of strips 21.

I do now believe that those skilled in the art will now appreciate that because of the form of the spring strips, particularly as shown in FIG. 3, the lamp sockets will be protected against shock in every direction. Actual tests have indicated that the construction of my concept has considera-ble value and is far superior to prior art shock absorber mountings of this class.

In FIG. 4 I illustrate a modified form of the invention in which the equivalent of the mounting member M is designated by reference M1. Instead of two spring strips 21 with offset portions, the part M1 has the equivalent of four spring arms 40, 41, 42 and 43. These are obviously offset from line ab' of FIG. 4, which is the same substantially as line a-b of FIG. 1. A contact member similar to contact member of the first modification is designated by reference number 45 and is suitably insulated from the arms 41, 42, 43 and 44 of the mounting member M1, being however secured to M1 as the mounting member 15 is secured to the part M. The four spring metal arms 41, 42, 43 and 44 will obviously permit considerable twist of the lamp bulb sockets relatively to the base 10, but now as seems evident, the construction of FIG. 4 will not function as well as that of FIG. 1. It is similarly possible to use other types of strips having offset portions relatively to securing means and a central portion for the purpose described here, all as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lamp of the class described, a base surface relatively to which one or more filament bulbs are to be secured, a lamp bulbmounting member comprising a central portion and at least a pair of spring metal strips extending each at one end from said central portion, fastening means securing the other ends of each of said strips relatively to said base surface while holding the said central portion and substantially all of each of said strips in a position spaced from said base surface, and each of said strips being in a form having a substantial portion thereof offset relatively to a line extending between the fastening points of said fastening means whereby the said offset portions facilitate twisting motion of said strip supported central portion relatively to said base surface as well as movement of said central portion toward and away from said base surface.

2. In the combination of claim 1, the feature that there are two 'lamp sockets on said central portion holding filament bulbs with the longitudinal axes of said bulbs substantially perpendicular to the line extending between the secured ends of said strips whereby the mass of said central portion and said bulbs will under shock tend to twist said strips relatively to their secured ends.

3. In the combination of claim 1, the feature that said central portion and said strip portions are formed of flat metal and with said strip portions bent into a position substantially perpendicular to the base surface.

4. In the combination of claim 2, the feature that the said strip portions are formed of fiat metal bent to contribute said offset form and lying with the surfaces of said strips perpendicular to the plane of said base surface.

5. In the combination of claim 3, the feature that each of said strip portions is curved to hold the central portion under tension while permitting movement of said central portion under shock in a plane parallel to the base surface.

6. In the combination of claim 4, the feature that each of said strip portions is curved to hold the central portion in a predetermined position and yieldingly under tension, while permitting movement thereof under shock relatively to said base.

7. In the combination of claim 1, the feature that said central portion and said strip portions are of one piece of thin metal and that said strips are bent relatively to said base surface when said base is horizontal, said strip portions permitting readily the said twisting movement as well as movement of said central portion toward and away from said base.

8. In the combination of claim 1, the feature that each of said strip portions has a curl between its ends constituting said offset portions.

9. In the combination of claim 1, the feature that each strip has a curved portion intermediate its ends formed to facilitate distortion of each of said strips and twisting motion of said strip supported central portion relatively to said base surface, as well as movement of said central portion toward and away from said base surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,794,962 6/1957 Donato 339-128 3,267,275 8/1966 Kendall et a1. 240--11.2. 3,414,762 12/1968 Wyzykowski 3l564 JOHN W. HUCKERT, Primary Examiner S. BRODER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

